Strike talk threatens Boston port

Longshoremen dispute could close Conley Container Terminal

A threatened strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association that could shut down Boston’s port — along with 14 others from Maine to Texas — is forcing Massport to take emergency measures.

The Hub port operator is reaching out to shippers that use the Conley Container Terminal so they can claim any cargo on the docks before a work stoppage occurs, potentially as early as Dec. 29, according to acting port director Deborah Hadden. It is also prepared to extend the Boston port’s hours if needed

Longshoremen on Tuesday failed to reach an agreement to extend their master contract with the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX) from its current Dec. 29 expiration date until Feb. 1 so negotiations could continue. Both sides, which have been bargaining under the auspices of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service for several months, blamed the other for the impasse.

“I remain hopeful that the two sides will return to the bargaining table,” Hadden told the Herald. “The global economy moves by water, and shutting down container ports along the East and Gulf coasts while the national economy remains fragile benefits no one.”

Conley Terminal handles about 1.5 million tons of containerized cargo annually and supports approximately 1,000 jobs. Those positions include jobs held by the ILA and truckers who transport containers from New England companies to the facility for global export and deliver containers full of imported goods to local firms and retailers, according to Massport.

“USMX and its members are disappointed with the breakdown of negotiations and the inflexible stance that the union’s leaders have maintained over the nine-month course of these talks,” USMX CEO James Capo said in a statement.

“USMX seems intent on gutting a provision of our master contract that ILA members fought and sacrificed for years to achieve,” ILA President Harold Daggett said in a statement, referring to the payment of container royalties, a key bargaining stumbling block.

The National Retail Federation has been raising the red flag about a potential strike, urging President Obama to intervene. A 10-day West Coast port lockout in 2002 cost the U.S. economy $1 billion a day, and it took six-plus months for the supply chain to recover, according to the NRF.

“It’s critical that the ports remain open and functioning,” said Jonathan Gold, the NRF’s vice president of supply chain and customs policy. “It could have a far-ranging economic impact.”